I first met Ric Masten on Wednesday, May 1, 2002, at a meeting of the Prostate Cancer Self-Help Group of the Central Coast, which was organized by facilitator Paul Soifer and held at theHospice House in Monterey, California. I was invited to be the lead speaker addressing theemotional and psychological challenges men face when they are diagnosed and treated forprostate cancer.

On the podium, Ric and I were seated by one another. And of course, for those of you whoknow either Ric or me, that's like putting together two 10th graders who can't stop talkingin the back of the classroom. Throughout the evening we whispered back and forth, gentlyelbowed one another, and traded mischievous but well intentioned humorous winks while theother panelists were speaking. From that night on, Ric and I became friends, journeymen if youwill, fellow explorers on this journey we call cancer.

Ric was diagnosed four years ago at the age of 69 with an aggressive form of prostate cancerthat had already spread. I was diagnosed six years ago at the age of 39 with an early stageprostate cancer that was still confined to the gland. Ric has had surgery, radiation and nowchemotherapy. I have had only surgery. Ric is a poet/philosopher who sets his sights squarelyon the passionate, subjective, and creative parts of people and life in general. I am a clinicalpsychologist who aims squarely at the dispassionate, objective, logical/coping parts of peopleand their inner lives. As you can see, Ric and I have found that we complement one another likeglove and hand (a little urologist humor here).

On a person-to-person microcosmic level, we seem to reflect the larger macrocosmic balance ofenergy, often referred to as Yin and Yang. It was because of this complementary relationship--the "old" man/"young" man, cancer that has spread/cancer that is contained, one writing withheart-focus/one writing with head-focus—that Ric and I began to dialogue (what I call brain-jam mind/melds) and before you knew it, we were like two revved up locomotives on paralleltracks—parallel journeys if you will—telling our respective cancer stories in our own ways.Read Ric’s poem:“End Line”Read Larry Lachman's tribute poem:“My Older Brother Ric Masten”